Stay at home: Deyalsingh knocks people exercising outdoors

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh is calling on citizens who insist on exercising outdoors to stay at home.

Speaking at a media conference on Monday, Deyalsingh said he observed a young man running and an elderly man on a bicycle in the opposite direction at the Aranguez Savannah, on his way to the conference.

He warned about the consequences of exercising in public spaces and urged citizens to stay at home.

"Let me tell you, what is the danger of that. Anyone of those persons could have COVID-19 and not know it. Anyone of them could have coughed or sneezed, and the droplets will stay in the air and you will breathe it in. That is why we are saying to people who insist on exercising, stay at home.

Don't run around the savannah, because the person 10 feet in front of you, who may have COVID-19, will sneeze and cough and then one second later you run into his droplets hanging in the air. And we would not be able to contact and trace that person because it's anonymous," he said.

Deyalsingh added that as of 10 am on Monday, Trinidad and Tobago recorded 82 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

He said Trinidad and Tobago's caseload is 62.4 per million.

"The global average is 102.29 per million. So we are just over half of the global average and this number of 62.4 per million will only rise," he said.

Deyalsingh said the next two weeks will determine the fate of Trinidad and Tobago.

He said the 19, 000 plus persons who returned to the country over the last two weeks will be putting the country at risk, if they do not heed the call to stay home.

"The next two weeks will be a crucial time for Trinidad and Tobago. The next two weeks, depending on how people respond to the orders that the Ministry of Health has sent out, will determine how this case burden rises from 62.4 cases per million."

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